Escape: A Wyoming Historical Novel

by Jean Henry Mead

Jean Henry Mead’s novel Escape is a powerful story of a young woman who hides her identity from outlaws. The author writes lyrically of Wyoming settlers and rough men who ran wild on the frontier. She brings courage, conviction and spiritual beauty to this fine story. ~Richard S. Wheeler, award-winning author The stage is set for nonstop action in this debut novel by Jean Henry Mead with its delightful blend of western fiction and Wyoming history. The dialogue rings true and is peppered with humor, making for a thoroughly enjoyable read. The early introduction and resulting misadventures of Tom “Peep” O’Day (who is eventually blamed for the bungled bank robbery of Belle Fourche, South Dakota) adds a wonderful balance to the storyline and offers an interesting insight into members of the wild bunch. An added bonus is the epilogue which details each gang member’s fate. If it’s a wild ride you’re looking for, Escape will take you on an adventure that will leave you breathless. ~American Western Magazine

Genres: Historical

312 pages, Paperback

First published July 28, 2008

About the author

Award-winning photojournalist and novelist. Published domestically as well as abroad. Novelist with 22 published books, both fiction and nonficition, including the Logan and Cafferty series, Hamilton Kids' mysteries and Wyoming historical novels. Former news, magazine and small press editor. Latest book, Mystery of the Black Cross.

Reviews

[Bobbie Crawford]

Escape: A Wyoming Historical Novel
Written By: Jean Henry Mead
Published By: ePress-online, Inc.
Date: 2008
Pages: 251
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1934258217

Escape is gritty, authentic and brilliant! I’ve watched Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid and a few western movies in my time and I really have to hand it to Jean Henry Mead; she’s captured the essence and the vivid intensity of the Wild West in this novel. The story of Andy (Andrea Bordeaux) and her plight is the main focus of the story though a western wouldn’t be complete without the requisite hold-ups, saloons and posses hunts; this book has it all! When Andy is kidnapped by a gang of outlaws and taken away from her Grandparents, the gang assumes that she’s a boy and makes her an...


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[Patty]

I really wanted to like this book. I liked the premise and the setting but for some reason it missed somewhere along the line.

Andrea's Grandmother tells her to cut her hair and put on coveralls to disguise herself when some strangers come to the ranch in the late 1800's in Wyoming. When "Andy" is kidnapped and force to go to the Hole in the Wall and spend time with the Wild Bunch things get very interesting.

Lots of stories about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid along with the other outlaws, all told with some very accurate history.

There is a lot of violence in this book, and maybe that was was bothered me. Yes, I know that the outlaws of the Wild Bunch were violent and killed and robbed and stole but most of the violence in this one is aim at Andy and her friend Billy, Billy being the only person who knows that Andy is a female. Both are beaten, shot at, and generally abused. Maybe that was what bothered me the most, that so much violence was directed at the youngest of the characters.

If you are big fans of the last of the old-time cowboy/outlaws this is a great story. It just didn't work for me as well as I would have liked.

[Sherrill]

I was a little surprised to find that Jean Henry Mead is a woman because this seemed such a man book. I could have sworn Zane Grey had reappeared and written it. It was the good old gritty kind of Western book that made him famous. Apparently it is based on a lot of historical research. It really made you feel like you were living in those ever so difficult days. In the end she lets us in on what became of the characters she introduced like Sundance Kid and Butch Cassidy and their various hangers on. It seemed everyone wanted to be a part of the Wild Bunch and live at "The Hole". All in all it didn't seem like the kind of life anyone in his right mind would aspire to and they deffinitely lost more than they ever gained. I guess it was the adventure of it all.

[Kat Caperton]

I LOVED this book! Gave such a realistic desription of a WOMAN actually choosing to migrate to the west in a time when such thing would be virtually unheard of. The descriptions of the culture, the actions needed to endure great hardship & survive were excellent.
Great plot, characters, culturally accurate descriptions are thrilling & pull me forward through the whole entire book! I highly recommend this book to all!

[Anette]

It was okay but there really wasn't character development and I really didn't understand the "romance" between the two main characters. It was interesting to remember that most of the facts were true but the details were speculation and not very interesting. I won't read it again and probably not recommend it to anyone else.

[Luckngrace]

If you love Westerns, this is for you. I Read on Kindle.